


Team building

by NYWCgirl



Category: White Collar
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-13
Updated: 2015-11-13
Packaged: 2018-05-01 10:52:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5203115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYWCgirl/pseuds/NYWCgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Filling a prompt by  sholio  who asked for Stranded and freezing in the snow.<br/>Prompt/Request: Peter is stranded in the snow; Neal goes looking for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Team building

**Author's Note:**

> Artwork by Leesa_perrie

 

 

“Peter! PETER!” Neal called out.

Standing still, he listened. The snow dampened most sounds, but there was nothing. Where could Peter be?

Suddenly there was the howling of wolves. Neal listened. It was worth checking it out what excited the wolves.

 

_Earlier…_

When Peter still hadn´t arrived at the cabin after lunch, Neal had started worrying immediately. Diana had told him that Peter was probably detained at the budget meeting he had to attend. Neal had caught a lift with Jones and Diana up to the cabin they had rented for a teambuilding weekend. They were going to do a dropping in the forest with the White Collar team. Next to Diana and Jones, there were four more agents and two new probies.

Neal had waited another hour, but when Diana called the office and Hughes had told them Peter had left several hours earlier, he had put on his winter coat and snow breakers, they were brand new, winter gear was not something Neal Caffrey needed in New York. But as Peter had warned him that it could get cold and that he needed gear for the exercise, Neal had gone shopping.

“Do you even know how to operate a snowmobile?” Diana asked in earnest.

“Seriously? You think I have never … never mind.” Neal smiled at her. No need to incriminate himself.

They agreed to keep in touch every half hour. Jones and Diana would take the other snowmobiles and the other agents would take the SUV´s and check the roads.

“Neal, wait…” Diana gave him a strange look, so Neal walked up to her. “I hate to do this, but here, take this.” She handed him her back up gun. “You never know what is out there in the woods.”

“Come on Diana, you know I don´t like guns.”

“I know, but I want you to be safe, so take it, you will probably not need it, but better safe than sorry.”

They took off in different directions.

 

* * *

 

Peter found himself in the woods, but wasn´t really sure how he had gotten there. He was hot, so he took off his suit jacket. He discarded it while he walked. When he slipped, he was confused. He was going somewhere but not completely sure where he was going. And why was his head hurting? He got up with difficulty but for some reason, he knew he needed to keep walking, so he did.

The next time he slipped, he stayed seated in the snow. Why he wasn’t wearing his snow boots in the snow was beyond him. He realized that his city shoes weren´t going to cut it out here. Stupid.

Was that Satchmo? No, … Why would Satchmo howl?

He studied his surroundings but couldn´t think of a reason why he was doing it. There was an unsettling feeling in his stomach. And the feeling of forgetting something; although he couldn´t remember what. He was tired. Maybe he could just rest a moment.

 

* * *

 

When Neal felt his phone vibrate, he stopped the snowmobile and answered.

“We have found Peter´s car. He must have hit an ice patch and skidded off the road.” Agent Furlong said.

“Is Peter alright?”

“Well, that is the point, he must have left the car. The airbag is deployed and there is blood on the doorpost of the driver´s side. We are trying to follow his tracks, but with the snow it is difficult. But from the looks of it, he is travelling in your direction. That is why I called you.”

“Thanks, I´m checking out something. We will keep in contact.”

Neal listened again and there was the howling again. He hoped his was heading in the right direction. His face felt like needles were piercing his skin.

All of a sudden, there was a bit of clearing in the forest where the trees were more dispersed. Neal´s heart leaped.

“Peter!”

Peter was sitting against a tree. He was overjoyed when he saw that Peter had his eyes open.

“Peter, I´m so glad I found you. How are you feeling?”

When Peter didn´t respond, Neal got worried. Peter didn´t give any indication that he had heard Neal or even knew Neal was there. Neal knelt next to him and felt for a pulse, he sighed when he found one. He grabbed his cell and called Diana.

“Diana, I found him, but he is in a bad way. Can you track my anklet? The GPS on my phone is also active.”

“Yes, we can, stay put.”

Neal felt for a pulse, but it was slow and weak. Peter was deadly pale, but his lips and ears were blue, which was eerie. Neal thought it was strange that he wasn’t wearing a jacket, but he was obviously severely hypothermic as he didn´t shiver at all. He needed to warm Peter up, so he took off his jacket and tried to manhandle Peter into it, but as Peter was broader than Neal, he couldn´t get the jacket to fit. Why had he bought a tailored parka?

Neal made sure that the coat covered his back and the hood his head. He couldn´t get his gloves to fit Peter´s bigger hands. He then went back to the snowmobile and took out the emergency blanket that he draped on top of Peter and then he scooted next to Peter, maybe he could give off some body heat. Although by now, Neal was shivering himself.

“Peter? It´s me, Neal.” He shook Peter gently. “Diana, Jones and the others are on their way, we will get you out of here, OK?”

Peter didn´t acknowledge Neal, but he started mumbling. It was too soft for Neal to decipher, but it had a desperate tone to it. Neal put his arm around Peter and held him and continued to speak reassuring words to Peter.

“Stay with me Peter, you are going to be fine. Please Peter come on, fight this.”

When he heard the other snowmobiles, he got up to signal where they were. His shivering had steadily become more violent and he was glad to see the others.

Neal and Diana helped Peter behind Jones and tied them together so Peter couldn't fall off. Peter was packed in several thick blankets, and a hat and mittens were added. Jones left immediately with Peter towards the cabin where an ambulance would be waiting for them.

When Neal wanted to pull on his coat it was clear that his movements were slow and labored and even a tad uncoordinated. Diana was aware that Neal must also be getting hypothermic. She helped him in his coat and drapedan emergency blanket over him, which he pulled around hm.

“Can you hold on to me?”

“Y… Yes” he stuttered.

“OK, you ride with me; we will pick up the snowmobile later. Hold on.”

Neal melted against Diana´s back and burrowed behind her.

When they arrived at the cabin, the ambulance personnel were still working on Peter so they could safely transport him to hospital. Diana told Neal to ride with them, but he started to protest until the other EMT did a quick examination and told Neal he was also moderately hypothermic and that he thought it better to be re-warmed in hospital.

Neal sat next to Peter´s head and was handed a warm drink in a sippy cup, which he eyed with disgust, but the EMT told him he was shaking and it would be hard not to spill his drink. Inwardly he had to admit the EMT was right.

While they prepared to drive to hospital Neal let his eyes close. They were safe and they were going to be OK. And the next time Peter wanted to do a team building exercise, it would be in Florida, he would make sure of that.

 


End file.
